Well swar



Patented .Maru 13, 1951 I Thisinventionomnrises .navelandiusefulgime provementsina wellswahtandgmorei specioally:

.pertains to a; swabh'mgf, device;` incorporating;

therein` safety. features.. in the form, of; an` over:

load. release. whereby.. an overlfiaded; swab willi` draw-ing. the. entire -valvel assemblyto.. uncover a..

by-pass: passage-throug-h the-swabitself and .here mit release of the overload througlitheiswaibn These,;.together.with.various ancillaryv features" an'dfobjectsrofpthe inventionivvhichlwilllater ble,- oome. apparentLA as, the follorw'nggdescription.pro.- ceeds,i are.. attained-4 by., they present'. inventiom a; preferredrembodiment; of; has? been.. illus-f tratedloy wav. of. examnlaonlvdnlheaooomnanyr ingdravvings,-v ,wherein:.. l

Figura 1. is. a.. vertical'. longitudinali. sectionall view through.alportionofeewelllcasnaor tubing,- showingf: the. improved.. welllV swab; forming theV subject of this.,invention;ppsitionedljtlierein;,

Eigure; 2 isL at. verticali. central ,lngtudinal'sectional-view..thr(mehrtlrieoiinproved.wellswaldsliowe ing` thee sama, in... position.. ina.; Wellwcasing, on tuhinas.

Figure-431: is a view. similar. tolfifgureafli.1-1tshaw;A ing' the swab.- inl its: Qverlaadv` release, position Fig-ure 44 is ahorizontal.seetionalview taken. substantially, unon. the; plane.A of.,` the., section'.l lineA e-ioEgure-Zpand; i Ei'ggire.- 5.4islalside...elevatimialgview.of.tiieiswaii,n cage; andlvalveeassemblv, fnrming.the.,subjeetfoi thisiinventionn Referring now more specifically to thexv ac;- companying, drawingef, wherein. likeI numerals designate. similar, partslthrougliout. thevarious` views,.,it,v will .be seer1.that;the:.numeral lldesig; nates .awell casing` or. tubing; of; any- JdesiredgtvgewhichisshOWn-as.extended.;tli1zaughazinrmation on44 strata-M iZS intoVJ ai;vsnellllmljeLY L41 injhahottom.

thereon. Asi-shavinginoEienresll-ltheeimnroved;

wellswabforminggtlesubjectr ofmthisinvention-f is:Y shawn" Qositionedf'in'- suoli' a casing or tubing;tir performl itsl we lliswabbing.4 or cleansing action accordance'.witlrconventional practice. TheV im- Qrovedwellswab-consists ofayhollow body lf'qf" anydesiredlshapeandfsize, i but which' preferably-vr egimprises-a;A sleeve; which` is openv at its upperand lower.` ends; lint has ai partition lsf-interemediat'etlieserends-r Thisnartition, which is apertured at its center; tlius dividesftheinterior offthe-body l6lintoan uppercliamber vvv-liih i`sclo.sed ibyaninternallytiireaded cape-member 22f`likewisef centrally "apert'nredi andiarlowewcliamblerwd "which` isinternally; tlirealied?"to` receive theexternally 'threaded'l neck' portion^-26 of-iaswab headi2'8of any conventienal design.; I-Icvvvever,A inaccordance with this-invention; anaxial bore orpa`ssage30fextend`s through tliis*vr swab l'rearli'and`r into theA interior off the criarrrhezr;J

Ata convenientv point-adjacent' thelower ends* ofithelowerr end off the'loodyl i6; a--plurality'of' longitudinally# extending slots 32i arev providedff estatili'shingfcommuniationibetween the interior ojjtlie bodyA and tl'ief exteriorV thereof;V thus proaY viiiingVv corn-irunicaticm-l between tlieL interior` off tlie Well" casing orrtubing;` I ll'fand"I the I interior of" the'loodveoif'tliielswaov Slidablvf'insertecli` in-'tlie onenI lower end'offthe chamber anci slidalilelwithin the same is an innen cage;l 34: which-` is-'likfewise provided' withVIA longitudinally extending s slotsIv 361 which are coextensiverwitlifand tliusregister with the slots- 32T. in*` thebodyememler; 16'; The cage is further Qrovidr'ed4 with an annular* internalv ange or shoulderz;to-"the'und'er side-of which is adaptiedito;bie'c1amped"the;external`flange or shoulder 4.0; of acsleeve" zrconstituting -a` valve seat. The lowensnrface-ofthis' angel!! being retained'as 'an'` internally f'angedf tubular sleeve Vor memher'lllthreadedly engages-the internally threadied2 lower :portion ofi the cage vl34ju l 'ITlieLV upper surfaceA of* the valve i assembly 4I constitutesaisplierioaljseatfprgreceivinga spheri:

calLorJba'lljlvalvefll; constituting-a check valve;

tliisivalirebeing;retained1within-the yhollow inner cage; 3K4?. anilbeingfr'jeelyv -rnovableY therein;

Disnosedfin the upper; portion of the/bore 214"v andzseatedbetween:thepartition I8 therein and the-upger'surace of '.theinnerfcage is a compression-.springwhiolrserves-to urge the inner cageeto..itsil'owermostposition, that-"loeingjr-'thev-pof 'sitonlshownin Figure 231 wherein thev slots 36 koi? tliezinnencageare irri. complete: and* iull` 'registry se a by-pass passage is established around the swab head`28, this `passage consisting of the registering slots 32 and 3, the passage through the valve member 42 which is controlled by the ball valve 46, and the passage 26 extending through the swab head.

A swabbing rod 5D, which may comprise a rigid rod, is receivable and slidable in the apertures in thev upper closure cap 22, andthe partition I8, having its lower end threaded, asat 52, for engagement rigidly in the upper portion of the inner cage 34. This rod 50 may be secured to a swabbing cable, or may be directly connected to any suitable operating mechanism whereby the same may be lowered into and removed-from the well for imparting a vertical reciprocating movement tothe swab head `2B for cleansing or swabblng the interior of the well casing or tubing Il). n

- The upper compartment or chamber 2l) within the body IB receives a steel or similar sleeve. 54 having an axial bore therethrough for guidinglyand slidingly receiving the rod 50 therein. This sleeve constitutes a sealing means for preventing the ingress of foreign matter into the interior of the body I6 where the same might damage the bearing connection ofthe sliding rod 50 with. the aperture through the .partition I8 and might prevent rotation of the cage 34 within the body,

and thus assure registry of the slots 32 and 36.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device will now be readily understood. When the parts are arranged as in Figure 2. the spring 48 has urged the innercage 34to its lowered position, so that the slots 32 and 36 are in complete registry. When. now, the swahbing rod 50 with the swab assembly secured thereto is lowered, as shown by the arrow in Figure 2, the swab 28 moving vdownwardly in the casing I u will encounter the surface of liquid therein, whereupon the liouid will now upwardly through the passage 30, will lift the ball valve 4B from its seat, as shown'in dotted lines in Figure 2, and the liquid will now as'indicated by the arrows through the by-pass pa ssage by means of the passages 30, 32, and 36 to the space above the swab head. After the swab has completed its downward stroke, the ball valve 4B will seat by its own weight, thus trapping the fluid disposed above the swab head 28, which, in accordance with conventionalpractice; will establish a :duid-tight seal with the walls of the casing or tubing I over which the swab head travels. When the swabbing rod 52. is raised, its engagement with the inner cage 34 will raise the saine. and throughv the spring48 and partition I8 will raise the entire body I6 and the swabbing head 28 rigidly attached thereto. If, however, too great a weight of linuid has been trapped above the swahbing head 28. so that the strength of the swabbing device is threatened thereby. the weight of this trapped liquid will cause the compression spring 48 to yield, until the position shown in Figure 3 is attained, at which time this compression spring is compressed, the inner cage has moved upwardly within the bodyv l so that the lower end of the same including the valve seat assembly has completely uncovered the slots 32, permitting the ud trapped above the swab head to pass through the by-pass passage, as indicated in arrows in Figure 3. When a suflicient Weight of fluid has been released, so

to breakage of the swab, the swabbing rod or the operating mechanism of the same.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the fore-l going specication and accompanying drawings,

it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact? construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications 'and equivalents may be resorted to,"

1. A well swab'V comprising a body, an innerl cage slidable in said body, a swabbing rod supporting said inner cage, resilient means yieldingly supporting said bodyon said inner cage, a

swab head secured to the lower end of the body,

a liquid passage through said swab head andbody, a non-return valve assembly in said inner cage controlling said passage, said inner cage and body having registeringslots forming part of said passage, said inner cage being slidable upon predetermined loads upon said swab to uncover the slots in said body whereby free communication through said passage to both sides of said swab is established.

2. A well swab comprising a body, an inner cage slidable in said body, a swabbing rod supporting said inner cage, resilient means yieldingly supporting said body on said inner cage, a swab head secured to the lower end of the body, a liquid passage through said swab head and body, a non-return valve assembly in said inner cage controlling said passage, said inner cage and body having registering slots forming part of said passage, said body and cage having cooperating guide means to prevent relative rotation.

3. A well swab comprising a body, an inner cage slidable in said body, a swabbing rod supporting said inner cage, resilient means yielding supporting said body on said inner cage, a swab head secured to the lower end of the body, a liquid pas-l sage through said swab head and body, anonreturn valve assembly in said inner cage controlling' said passage, said innercage and body hav- `ing registering slots forming part of said pastrolling said passage, said inner cage and body having registering slots forming part of said passage, said body comprising a sleeve, a partition dividing said body into upper and lower chambers, said inner cage being slidable in said lower chamber, a packing member in said upper chamber guidingly receiving said swabbing rod.

5. A well swab comprising a body, an inner cage slidable in said body, a swabbing rod supporting said inner cage, resilient means yieldingly supporting said body on said inner cage, a swab head secured to the lower end of the body, a liquid passage through said swab head and body, a nonreturn valve assembly in said inner cage controlling said passage, said inner cage and body having registering slots forming part of said passage, said cage having an internal shoulder, said valve assembly having an external shoulder engaging said internal shoulder and retaining means securing said shoulders together.

6. A well swab comprising a body, an inner cage slidable in said body, a swabbing rod supporting REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the y i le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 Number Name Date 1,468,017 Gehlbach Sept. 18, 1923 2,163,058 Phipps June 20, 1939 

